Provo Avalanche Advisory

Forecaster: Bruce Tremper

BOTTOM LINE

Danger by aspect and elevation on slopes approaching 35° or steeper.
(click HERE for tomorrow's danger rating)


Danger Rose Tutorial

Areas of MODERATE (Level 2) danger exist for soft slabs within the new snow in areas with more than about 6 inches of new snow and especially on steep slopes with recent wind deposits. Also, there is a MODERATE (Level 2) danger of wet sluffs on steep, southerly facing slopes if the sun comes out this afternoon.

CURRENT CONDITIONS

This is an almost ideal snow storm—just under a foot of new snow—not too much or too little—it snows at night and clears up during the day and it’s right side up, meaning it started out near freezing and temperatures are dropping rapidly. Snow has already ended in Logan and Ogden and it will likely end in the Salt Lake area mountains by around 9 am. Snow totals include about 9 inches in the Logan mountains, 12 inches at Monte Cristo east of the Ogden Valley, 9 inches on Ben Lomond Peak near Ogden with 1.3 inches of water and 7 inches at Alta as of 6 am and snow should end soon--same story with the Provo area mountains. Temperatures have dropped to around 10 degrees on the ridge tops and the winds have dropped off. Yep, it sounds like a good day to me too.

RECENT ACTIVITY

The pre-existing snowpack is quite stable in the Wasatch Range but it’s a different story for the Uinta Mountains, so be sure to check the Uinta Advisory if you are headed that way. Yesterday, there were no reports of avalanches in the backcountry.

THREAT #1
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 12 hours.

I’m guessing that today’s snow will be quite manageable using the usual techniques to deal with storm snow. In other words, all the problems are right near the surface and will be fairly obvious. Today when you travel you should regularly practice four different techniques. 1) Regularly dig down with your hand to see how well the new snow is bonded to the pre-existing snow. 2) regularly jump on little test slopes to see how the new snow responds, 3) Always start your run with a slope cut meaning that you put a swooping cut across the slope aimed at an island of safety so that if the slope breaks, your momentum might take you off the moving slab. 4) Always avoid steep slopes with recent deposits of wind drifted snow.

THREAT #2
WHERE PROBABILITY SIZE TREND
      Over the next 8 hours.

If the sun comes out this afternoon, we may also see some damp, loose sluffs on steep, sun exposed slopes especially on southerly facing slopes.

MOUNTAIN WEATHER

Snow should end quickly this morning. Winds will remain light from the west through north. Ridge top temperatures will be chilly, around the mid teens and down to 7 degrees tonight. We may see the sun peek through especially by afternoon. Tonight should be clear.

We have a larger, wet storm for the weekend that looks like it will bring upside down snow, lots of water weight and tricky avalanche conditions. So stay tuned….

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

If you trigger an avalanche in the backcountry - especially if you are adjacent to a ski area – please call the following teams to alert them to the slide and whether anyone is missing or not. Rescue teams can be exposed to significant hazard when responding to avalanches, and do not want to do so when unneeded. Thanks.

Salt Lake – Alta Central (801-742-2033)

Ogden – Snowbasin Patrol Dispatch (801-620-1017)

Provo – Sundance Patrol Dispatch (801-223-4150)

Discount Lift tickets: Ski Utah, Backcountry.com, Alta, Deer Valley, Park City, The Canyons, Wolf Mountain, Snowbasin, Beaver Mountain, Brighton, Sundance, and Solitude have donated a limited number of tickets for sale. Click here to support the UAC and get the goods.

Wasatch Powderbird Guides flight plan. Today, WPG may be flying the Daisy Bell avalanche mitigation device in and around Alta. In addition WPG may do limited non commercial training and reconnaissance throughout our entire permit area. WPG opening day for the 2011 season is Wednesday December 15.

Dawn Patrol Forecast Hotline, updated by 05:30: 888-999-4019 option 8.

Daily observations are frequently posted by 10 pm each evening.

Subscribe to the daily avalanche advisory e-mail click HERE.

UDOT canyon closures UDOT at (801) 975-4838

You have the opportunity to participate in the creation of our own community avalanche advisory by submitting avalanche and snow observations. You can also call us at 801-524-5304 or 800-662-4140, or email to uac@utahavalanchecenter.org

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The information in this advisory is from the U.S. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

We will update this forecast tomorrow morning. Thanks for calling.

This information does not apply to developed ski areas or highways where avalanche control is normally done.  This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

This advisory provided by the USDA Forest Service, in partnership with:

The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center, Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, Utah Division of Emergency Management, Salt Lake County, Salt Lake Unified Fire Authority and the friends of the La Sal Avalanche Center. See our Sponsors Page for a complete list.